Page 41 of The Wolf Prince's Mate

I’d be a huge liar if I said his words didn’t sway me a bit, but this wasn’t the time to listen to my racing heart or my ecstatic wolf. I needed to think with my head. I also wanted to question him on his statement about not being on time again, but I was afraid of what the answer would do to me and my decision to leave. So, I tucked it into the back of my head.

“I won’t be needing protection outside the States. All the demons are here.”

It stung a bit when he didn’t bother to ask what I meant or who I was talking about. The Griffin I knew would want every detail, but he chose to be quiet like he couldn’t care at all about my situation. Whatever the case, maybe, it hurt a little, and I felt stupid for thinking he’d care.

“Goodbye, Griffin.”

He tried to hold my hand, but I pulled away, walking out of the office and not turning until I was safely in my car and hidden behind the tinted windows. Then, I let out a frustrated scream, letting all the emotions I’ve been bottling in for a week spill through my vocal cords.

Once I felt lighter, I picked up my phone. I had one last call to make before I disappeared for good.

The phone rang about five times before someone answered. “Thank goodness, Mary. I was almost scared you lost your phone for a minute.”

“This is not Mary,” a hoarse feminine voice greeted me.

“Hello, I’m Mira. Can you get Mary on the phone please?” I replied, wondering why a girl with a sore throat was picking Mary’s calls. The last I could recall, she had neither friends nor family.

“She can’t come to the phone,” the girl replied. Impatience bubbled beneath my skin.

“This is a very urgent matter, and I would really appreciate it if you put Mary on the phone.”

“Didn’t you hear a word I said? She can’t come to the phone,” the girl replied, her voice growing more agitated.

I decided to be the level-headed one between us. “Please ask her to give me a call when she gets home.”

I was about to end the call when the girl’s voice caught my attention, halting my thumb on the red button. “I’m sorry I raised my voice.” Her voice sounded broken, and I returned my phone to my ear to hear her out. “I’ve been doing this for a while, and it’s getting increasingly difficult.”

Her next word met me with the same force as a trailer slamming into a wall, knocking the air out of me and leaving pure agonizing pain in its wake.

“Mary can’t come to the phone because she’s dead. She died a few days ago. She was murdered.”

The words echoed in my head, and I gripped my wheel to keep myself from smashing my fist into my windshield.

Mary was dead? She was murdered. How was that possible? We spoke about a week ago, shortly after I was attacked. It wasn’t possible. Death didn’t happen that easily.

Another scream tore free from my throat, this one fueled by rage and pain. I don’t know how long I sat crying in my car, but when I lifted my head, the sun was sinking behind the horizon.

I turned on my ignition, an unwelcome but factual thought pushing its way into my head. Mary was murdered a few days after a failed attempt on my life. There were only two people who knew how deep my friendship with Mary ran. One was a palace matron and physically incapable of attempting such, but the second person—green flashed through the back of my eyes, and I gripped my wheels tighter. I needed to get home.

If Mary was dead, it was only a matter of time till they extended the courtesy to everyone around me. Noah’s toothy grin flashed through my mind, and I knew without a doubt that Lilith wouldn’t hesitate to harm him. I sped down the road so fast that the world around me turned into a blur of colors. I didn’t mind catching a public flight if I had to. I needed to get my son and me as far away as possible.

*****

“Can I bring Mr. fish with me?” Noah asked, holding up a stuffed shark.

“You can bring whatever you want, baby, but some of them will arrive later than others.

His brows furrowed, and he stared at the toys scattered on the floor. “Why?”

I was saved from the impending interrogation by a little noise from the living room, and I asked Noah to keep packing while I checked what was wrong. The only warning I got upon my arrival to the living room was a scratching sound at the door before it was ripped off its hinges, revealing a ridiculously large man with glowing eyes and sharp canines.

Behind him, I could see the remains of some of my security men littered on the ground. I was caught off guard and my brain went into a frenzy trying to figure out what to do with the situation, when Noah’s scream pierced the silence and another man pushed past me, forcefully getting into the house. “You take care of her. I’ll get the boy.”

The statement immediately threw me into action, growling and throwing myself at him. I was able to tear off his arms and gouge his eyes before I was ripped off him.

It all happened so fast. Two became three, and before I knew what was going on, my house was swimming with wolves.

I was mid-shifting when a loud growl pulled our attention to the door. Victor stood there, eyes as black as midnight, and the next I knew, black fur erupted all over him, and a giant black wolf stood where he was.

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